Return to Article: Chertoff unveils Homeland Security revamp plan
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11278
We're doomed! On top of the fiasco that created this agency, and the continued failures of "management" to remedy the many mistakes and problems that exist here, the new Secretary of DHS has apparently decided that all is well at ICE, and will not merge us with CBP. In addition, he is appointing still another lawyer with no known management experience or skills to take over ICE, when the current lawyer in charge moves on. Lawyers belong in courtrooms, not in charge of agencies with billion dollar budgets and tens of thousands of employees. Or better still, hire a PROFESSIONAL law enforcement administrator to run things. Of course, that will never happen, because it makes sense. By the way, we just got the new ICE badges and credentials, after 29 months. When I saw them, I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or barf. They resemble the badges you see in the toy section of a 99 cent store. The disgrace and imcompetence continues......
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11274
ICE was created as a Patronage position for Michael Garcia. It is remaining as a stand alone agency solely for the Patronage.
The claim that it would be too costly to merge it into CBP is without factual basis. ICE and CBP use TECS, SECTOR, FP&F, Seizure Custodians, Etc. The only thing that I can think of that is separate is Regional Counsel (the attorneys).
The claim that ICE will be the investigative arm of DHS also is invalid. CIS is getting investigators and The Coast Guard already has investigators.
Has anyone taken a poll to determine what the field personnel would prefer?
Short Timer
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11063
Congressional hearings, letters to our Congressman, Testimony on the record from FLEOA, Testimony from Retired Agents before congress ( on the record), currently employed Agents were afraid to testify for fear of reprisal from upper management of ICE. Numerous postings on Gov Exec, I guess Chertoff and Company still dont have a clue about the real problems in ICE, our dysfunctional or nonexistent mission statement. Im glad I didnt see the broadcast with Chertoff concerning the Reorganization; I probably would have gotten violently ill. Whats the diffrerence between Chertoff and Mike Garcia. None ! Both DOJ Attorneys that have no business in their respective positions running this organization. Also, the US Senate has fired a warning volley over the listing ship by the name "SS DHS". Funding cut back on new hires for Investigations, Border Patrol and fewer appropriated bed spaces for D&R. Bush already is counting the savings on the defecit. I for one would take the good ole Legacy INS or Customs Days over this sorry excuse of an Agency. Signed one hoping for improvement, but seeing none !
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11057
After watching Chertoff in front of the house, it finally sunk into my thick skull that the fix is in to totally eliminate Customs investigations. I give up and have thrown in the towel. I'm pulling out my old Border Patrol uniform from storage. Anyone know where I can get the new patches?
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11028
I was extremely disappointed in the so-called DHS reorganization plan. Although it does get rid of the useless BTS Directorate (Asa Hutchinson's old job - he's also useless, but that's another story), it fails to deal with the immense problems facing this agency, especially the issues facing ICE and CBP, which have been ennumerated on these pages in countless posts since March, 2003. This is nothing more than putting a band-aid on a hemmorhage. To the uninformed, it looks like something is being done, but the patient is still bleeding to death.
Once again, a lawyer is placed in charge of a large government agency, with little or no management experience. A lawyer belongs in a courtroom, where he or she can utilize their training and experience to the fullest. Unfortunately, this legal training and experience does nothing to prepare somebody for the job of a CEO, who has to manage over 100,000 employees, and a budget of hundreds of billions of dollars.
DHS was created as a knee-jerk reaction to 9/11, and in reality has very little to do with the war on terrorism. When (not if) the next terrorist attacks occur in the U.S., DHS will be the scapegoat and be blamed, while the FBI and CIA, who screwed up royally before 9/11, and who still have the authority for terrorism investigations, will use DHS as the fall-guy for their own incompetence.
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11012
Chertoff, Garcia and Clark held their long-awaited internal Q and A with ICE HQ employees today...
Here it goes:
- No name change
- No merger with CBP
- FPS remains in ICE
- DRO remains in ICE
- FAMS go to TSAExactly what was needed to change for any chance for ICE to gain some modicum of self-respect, sense of mission and future planning was thrown out the window today. The most Chertoff stated that SEEMED optimistic was that he was FIGHTING for more money for Investigations, hiring more Special Agents for criminal matters and more IEAs for admimistrative cases. Don't hold your breath, folks: Look at what the Senate did today - reneg on promises to hire more BP agents and appropriate more money for bed space for alien detention centers. What makes Chertoff think he's going to get ANYTHING for ICE Investigations? He must either be a great liar or highly delusional.
And what about a clear mission statement and our standing with the FBI, DEA, CBP and other entities? Forget it! Not even mentioned or discussed. Starting to get the picture folks? We're a bunch of lost losers, destined to click on the Internet all day because the FBI's got terrorism, the DEA's got drugs, Treasury will get money laundering and America has no idea what it wants to do about immigration. In the meanwhile, CBP will call whoever they can get the most mileage with, because Chertoff didn't even state that CBP had to run seizures by ICE before calling other agencies.
Speaking of CBP, CBP is now creating its own "air force". Well, it certainly looks like Commissioner Bonner has a clear mission, and knows where he's headed...
Maximally pathetic, maximally shameful and maximally disgraceful; it doesn't get much worse than this, folks.
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11002
In conversations with my former ICE (read INS) collagues, the most pressing problems they deal with deal are A - lack of funds, B - Lack of qualified personnel (to replace departures, much less new blood), and C - Faulty Leadership. On topic C, it is not that the leadership is lazy or stupid - it is the fact that a lot of time and energy is spent fighting the battles for influence alluded to by a lot of the ICE contributors to this mailbag. You can't be a visionary if you find the ice flow (sorry!) you are standing on getting smaller by the moment. I work for a "rival" agency and it is not great shakes there, either. Until the administration decides who does what, where, and when and makes it stick our whole homeland security and intel effort is not going to represent a just return on the big money spent on it. Having worked both sides of the line since 9/11, we waste a lot of precious time on turf. It has to stop.
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10989
I don't know what all the fuss is about. We all knew we were appointed another hand ringing DOJ prototype in Chertoff. Did any of us really expect anything from 2SR, other than the creation of several more Senior SES positions for Chertoff's DOJ sand box playmates? Not a single policy or internal Department conflict were remotely addressed by Mr. Chertoff.
We (all of DHS) grow weaker and more ineffective everyday because of sluggish and ineffective leadership, while DOJ agencies gain strength in leaps and bounds via new money, direction, positions and jurisdiction or authority (that used to be ours). The real crime is that when another attack happens, DHS will be to blame and unceremoniously skewered for it. Those who were truly responsible, the first time around, and who will be again, will go unpunished again. One of the guilty, who stood up and admitted they screwed up and wanted to make sure it never happened again is now running for the Senate. If you're in Minnesota, I say vote for her - she may be our only supporter in congress. Chertoff just demonstrated he does not grasp the grass root issues plaguing DHS. He did demonstrate that he is willing to be lead down the path of infamy when he is the standing Secretary during the next attack. Judging from his announcement, focusing on the clean up of the next attack appears to be priority one for us now - so role up your selves, get your push brooms and grave digging shovels out - clean up is the new mission and focus!
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10987
The Secretary's comments covered a broad range of issues in DHS. If you want a clue about the future direction of ICE, look at his six points and initiatives. The focus will be on immigration enforcement and reform. Lest anyone think that's somehow less important that some of ICE's other legacy missions, remember that the only thing the 9/11 terrorists brought into the country were themselves. Our old immigration processes didn't stop them; perhaps a properly focused ICE can help stop the next bunch. Even if the Secretary addresses your questions in the ICE town hall meeting on the 15th, what you really need is leadership that provides a mission, focus and direction to your organization and the leadership to give you the resources you need to accomplish them. ICE's current leadership hasn't provided that. Let's hope the new leadership does.
Former ICE Agent
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10983
I, along with many of my colleagues, watched Chertoff's speech via ICE CCTV. I do not think it a stretch to say that his remarks were viewed with stunned silence and dismay.
Mr. Chertoff's remarks were among the most generic and unimaginative as I and others have ever heard from a person supposedly on the verge of a major "shake-up" in an organization plagued with insufficient resources and low morale. Interestingly, Chertoff's remarks were more noted for what he did NOT say, rather than what he said. For example, he did not address ICE's future mission, which is NON-EXISTENT, our relationship with other agencies, funding and staffing issues, and on and on it goes. In fact, Assistant Secretary Garcia said more in a pre-speech message to ICE employees when he told us that we would NOT be merged with CBP, and that the FAMs were headed to TSA. What is the "shake-up" in that? All that says is that ICE is a stand alone dud, with 5,000 agents, all dressed up, and no where to go. Why? Because we have no money, no mission and no respect from anyone else in the government, not even other components within DHS.
Get your resumes ready folks: Chertoff has spoken, and hope seems to have gone the way of a condemmed man headed for the gallows. There are only so many OGA jobs out there: it's now every man and woman for themselves.
PATHETIC, SHAMEFUL AND MOST DISGRACEFUL...G-D HELP US ALL.
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10974
And on and on it goes at DHS. The Department is rolling out MaxHR at the same time it is going through another giant reorganization. And DoD is doing the same with NSPS and BRAC.
I work in conflict and change management on a day to day basis. The first rule of thumb in OD is that you don't reorganize, and reorganize, and reorganize until you drive the organization and the people in it into total exhaustion and confusion.
Another major maxim is that it rarely works to fix cultural and organizational dysfunction by reorganization-- you simply spread the dysfunction. But usually the first gut reaction is to reorganize. Most folks in organizational development would tell you that it is much better to fix the dysfunctions in the old structure before moving the boxes around.
HR Specialist
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10969
Mr. Chertoff failed to listen,and now he has missed his opportunity to correct the egregious error of dissolving U.S. Customs and letting it be absorbed by the INS.
The INS must be merged with CBP in order for any good to come out of the creation of this department.
Did I say INS? I meant ICE...er..uh...no, I guess I meant INS....
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10967
Heres how it goes. Congress wants DHS, president says we do not need it. Pressure comes in hard to have DHS, president gives in. Now throw the thing together, no matter if it is wrong, just do it. Now, you fix it because it is all screwed up.
That is how the government works folks. A bunch of knee jerk people doing knee jerk stuff. There is never enough time to do it correctly but there is always time to REORGANIZE.
Shameful people.
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10962
And yet again, ICE morale continues to melt. Again, we had a chance to clearly define our mission, clear up the name issue, address the possibility of a merger, etc. What we get get is a softball remedy which will evaporate and not truly address the problems of this department. I'm not here to whine about legacy Customs or legacy INS, just about our people in charge. THey continue to show an inept ability to build up alot of hype and not deliver.
So what if ICE reports directly to Chertoff. We all knew BTS was unneeded. We needed somebody to define our mission today and they did nothing.
Take a hard look in the gutter and you'll see the morale of this office.
Special Agent DHS/ICE
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